I hear you about the crank handles—lost one to a frozen window a couple winters back and had to MacGyver it with a pair of pliers until I could find a...

That bit about “one hard winter and some flexing can still do them in” really rings true for me. I’ve had glass units go foggy after a few freeze-thaw...

I've definitely noticed a similar pattern with silicone caulk. A couple years back, I sealed some windows on the west side of my house (they get blast...

Yeah, totally agree with this. When we redid our living room windows a couple years back, we debated going for smart windows but chickened out because...

That's a good point about the ceramic films. I've had some basic window films fail pretty quickly too, even on windows that weren't getting blasted by...

Totally agree, sealing can make a surprising difference. Did mine last fall and honestly wasn't expecting much, but I noticed fewer cold spots almost ...

I've been there with the sanding too—my wrists still ache thinking about it, haha. But honestly, I've found paint holds up surprisingly well, especial...

Had a similar experience myself—went all-in on thermal imaging one year and ended up obsessing over tiny leaks that barely mattered. Honestly, good ol...

That's pretty impressive actually. I've been debating between Marvin and Pella myself, and noise reduction is a big deal for me too. My street gets su...

Totally agree on argon being overrated for soundproofing. Had the same experience when we replaced ours a few years back—didn't notice much difference...